Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Hollywood TV re-makes: 1 Hawaii Five-O

Triple P's memories of the original series of Hawaii Five-O are hazy even though the series ran from 1968 until 1980. We certainly remeber watching it early in its run but nothing about it stands out other than Mort Stevens wonderful title music and the accompanying visuals; between them combining for one of the greatest TV titles sequences ever.

We also remember the lovely face of model Elizabeth Malamalamaokalani Logue turning to face the camera and the frantic hip gyrations of Hula dancer Helen Kuoha-Torco as well as the splendid shots of the coastline.

Jack Lord as Steve McGarret managed the clever trick of being simultaneously wooden and hammy and everyone else in the show just revolved around him in a faintly awestruck way. Still, its extensive use of location filming, at a time when this was still unusual, gave such a major boost to Hawaii's tourism that no sooner had Hawaii 5-O finished than the state ensured that Magnum P.I. carried on this promotional role.

Now the series has been re-made with a new cast but many of the same characters. The original show was unusal for the time in having major ethnic characters but these days, of course, it is necessasry to ensure there is a woman in the cast too. Sensibly the producers have hired the altogether splendid Grace Park from another old show re-make, Battlestar Galactica.

Lots of pictures of Ms Park filming on the beach have emerged although we have to say that maybe she should indulge in a few more meals featuring that Hawaiian food staple, Spam, as she looks like one good Kona wind would blow her away like a loose palm frond.

The new cast of Hawaii 5-O

The producers have retained the original theme music and have put together a nicely updated title sequence which makes appropriate references to the original including a big wave.

Agent Triple P was about two hours from getting on a plane to Hawaii from Los Angeles once but sadly the trip failed to materialise. We shall have to content ourselves with picking up the new (rather well received) series or, perhaps, maybe the original which, with its sixties cars, architecture and fashions would be a far groovier experience.